The art of gardening (is a little bit like falling in love)
by NoOneTookThisUsernameYet
Summary: Or the story where Eijirou just really really likes plants… and oh, he likes this grumpy but hella adorable blonde, too.


**The art of gardening (is a little bit like falling in love)**

 **Disclaimer:** Do I own the characters? No. No, I don't. Do I own the plot of this fanfiction? Yes. Yes, I do.

 **Note:** So, I have this in my ao3 account under the same title (and username), and I'm just cross-posting here because reasons. Even though messed with my formatting. Oh well. Have fun, y'all.

 **Summary:**

Eijirou likes to compare people to his plants, and he thinks his new neighbor is like a cactus. Practically untouchable but beautiful all the same.

 _Or the story where Eijirou just really really likes plants… and oh, he likes this grumpy but hella adorable blonde, too._

* * *

It's quiet.

Everything seems to be moving in slow motion.

Eijirou lets out a long suffering sigh for the, moving to rest his chin on his palm as his eyes scan his currently empty shop. The day is really slow, and he barely has any customers. Usually his humble flower shop would be bustling with customers by now, but today just doesn't seem to be one of those days. It's very rare for his shop to be this empty, and he really isn't used to it. It's way too quiet, Eijirou thinks as he feels his eyes falling shut, a mighty yawn escaping his lips. The silence of his shop combined with the heat outside is making him feel really sleepy.

He desperately wishes that there's something, anything at all, that can take away his boredom, or Eijirou's afraid that he'll die from it, and he doesn't really want that. It seems that some god is listening to his pleas and is particularly favoring him for the day because right as he thinks that, a truck stops right in front of his shop. Eijirou recognizes it as one of those mover trucks, and he recalls being told that someone will soon occupy the empty apartment upstairs, the one right next to his; he just isn't told that his new neighbor is arriving now.

Well at least, Eijirou's boredom problem is now solved as he carefully observes the movers unload boxes after boxes out of the truck, wondering what his new neighbor is like. He hopes it's someone he can befriend and hang out with. It's true that he doesn't mind that his neighbors are older than him - they are still fun to talk to, after all - but it's still different to have someone close to his age. That's why he really hopes that his new neighbor is at least what he expects.

A figure emerges from the passenger's seat of the truck, and Eijirou is more than convinced that it's his lucky day because his new neighbor is everything he expects and more. The guy is young - Eijirou is guessing they're close in age - and perfectly fit. Eijirou feels a little bit like a creep watching his new neighbor, eye's trained carefully on his every movement; he can't help it. The guy is fascinating to watch, and Eijirou is completely mesmerized. It's hard to look away, not when the object of his fascination is moving so fluidly, so sure of himself. He's watching from inside his shop, but he can already feel confidence radiating from the other. It's really beautiful, and it doesn't help that the guy's hair is as golden as the daffodils blooming in a meadow and as spiky as that of a dandelion puff before the wind blows it away, and really, that seals the deal for him. If he didn't believe in love - or crush - at first sight before, he totally does now. The blonde definitely looks like friend material. He just hadn't taken into account that his new neighbor also looks like boyfriend material.

But alas, Eijirou can't be satisfied with just watching the blonde from afar. No way. He wants to be friends with him. He may have developed a crush on him, but his desire to make a new friend is still there. So Eijirou walks out of his shop and stops right in front of the guy who merely gave him a hard stare.

Eijirou takes his time to further observe the guy, noting the shape and color of his eyes and the curve of his nose, committing the curl of the blonde's lips to memory. The guy looks absolutely gorgeous, and Eijirou briefly wonders if the gods took their sweet time creating such perfection. They probably did. Genetics is definitely not wasted on him.

The blonde looks like he's getting impatient though, eyes narrowing, so Eijirou decides to finally talk.

"Hi," Eijirou says, showing his pointy teeth in a picture of a bright cheerful smile, "I'm Eijirou Kirishima, your neighbor. Nice to meet you."

"Fuck off."

His new neighbor snarls before settling for a mighty scowl, glaring at him with the intensity of a thousand burning suns.

He looks really scary and just a little too hot.

Eijirou's heart is totally not doing insane somersaults inside his chest.

Oh dear.

* * *

Eijirou feels like an insect willingly flying towards a venus fly trap's mouth.

There's really no better comparison as he finds himself standing in front of the blonde's door instead of his own. It's really embarrassing, but after the blonde stomped off, Eijirou isn't able to stop thinking about him. His mind is filled with thoughts of golden daffodils and puffy dandelions the entire day. Actually, his mind is still thinking of his new neighbor, and that's why Eijirou decides to make a beeline for the blonde's apartment right after he closed his shop.

Sure, he's been told to fuck off, but he really doesn't want to do that. His desire to make a new friend is stronger than ever, and when he's set himself to do something, he will do it, no questions asked. That resolve is what prompted him to stand in front of his neighbor's door. He looks brave on the outside, but he's actually drowning from nervous in the inside. He doesn't want to mess anything up. That will be so embarrassing, and he's sure as hell that he will never be able to live it down if he embarrasses himself in front of the other.

Steeling his nerves, Eijirou takes a deep breath and knocks.

The door swings open, and Eijirou is met with a sight that he will probably never forget, not that he wants to forget it, really. He knows hot and adorable can't really go together - it's a universal rule - but somehow, by some miracle, his neighbor pulls it off perfectly. Sort of like a model; no, scratch that. The guy definitely looks like a model. Right now, his neighbor is donned in a tight-fitted tank top, accentuating how well-built he is while his bangs are being held away from his forehead by cute strawberry hair clips. It makes his eyes more visible, like deep rubies on white velvet.

Fine.

His neighbor is so damn _fine_.

And it's really not good for Eijirou's poor poor heart.

He came here with a purpose, but right now, Eijirou's trying to grapple for the right words to say. It's not easy; quite frankly, it's difficult to form words when all he can hear is the loud beating sound of his heart. Eijirou can't remember a time when he had been at lost for words, but it will seem as if he finally met his match. He doesn't even know his neighbor's name yet; heck, he just saw him that day, and he's already rendered speechless, briefly wondering what will happen to him if ever they start to get to know each other better - which Eijirou fervently hopes so.

"Hi," Eijirou says lamely, smiling sheepishly. It's the only word he can find right now; the only solace he has is that he didn't stutter in front of the guy. That will be so uncool. Damn why does his neighbor have to look _this_ good?

"The fuck do you want?" His new neighbor asks, not angry but definitely grumpy, and Eijirou thinks he really likes the sound of the blonde's voice.

"Well, I'm just wondering if you need some help unpacking your stuff?" Eijirou wonders, finally managing to say something while scratching his cheek and giving his neighbor a small lopsided smile. He's honestly feeling unsure of himself right now, but oh well, he already asked anyway.

The blonde eyes him intensely, and Eijirou gulps. He feels like he's being judged, feeling as if his neighbor can see the depths of his soul, unraveling all of his secrets from the darkest, most embarrassing ones down to the smallest, silliest ones. He isn't saying anything either, just standing there and staring at him, elegant brows furrowed. His neighbor almost looks contemplative, baffled even, like he's unsure of what to make of Eijirou. He supposes the guy isn't used to being offered help or even accepting some, but Eijirou really wants to help him and maybe talk to him - he's going to love talking to him for sure.

The blonde remains silent, and even Eijirou is starting to feel more and more awkward as the minutes pass by. He'll really like it for his neighbor to at least say something, anything. So he tries to ask again.

"So do you need some he-"

The door suddenly slams shut in front of his face before he can even finish talking, and Eijirou blinks, staring at the now closed door. He's sure he can hear his neighbor's muffled cursing followed by the sound of things being shifted inside the apartment. Eijirou knows he should be offended; he just had a door slammed in front of his face after he graciously offered help after all. Really, he should feel offended, but that's just it. He isn't offended at all. In fact, he honestly thinks it's cute. Well okay, having a door slammed on his face isn't cute - it's totally rude - but his blonde neighbor and his grumbling certainly is. He's also certain he caught his neighbor flushing a little before he closed the door. So instead of being angry, Eijirou beams.

"I'm just a door away if you need some help!"

* * *

"Hello, my lovelies," Eijirou cheerfully greets the plants lined up outside of his shop like he does every morning. He wholeheartedly believes that it's because he loves to talk to his plants that they are all growing nicely. His precious children. "Looking good there, jade plant. You too, donkey tail. Oh you're blooming, huh, golden barrel?"

Eijirou continues to talk to his plants, making sure that he's able to say hi to all of them. He can't miss one or it might not bloom, and nothing makes him sadder than his plants not blooming. It makes him feel like a bad parent. He tends to them for a while, humming an unknown tune as he works. He's in the middle of preparing a new garden pot when hears the creaking sound of the stairs right next to his shop. He catches a glimpse of gold from his peripheral vision, and a smile breaks out from his lips.

"Good morning, Mr. Grumpy Cat." Eijirou sing-songs as his neighbor descends down the stairs, looking ready for a morning jog. "Nice day, huh?"

Unsurprisingly, his action gets him a scowl from the blondee. "Don't fucking call me that."

"I wouldn't if I know your name." Eijirou says, placing a hand on his hip as he tilts his head to the side. "So mind telling me what it is?"

"Fuck off."

"Your parents named you fuck off?" Eijirou blinks, his face a picture of mock innocence and curiosity. "That's not very nice."

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Huh," Eijirou's lips curl into a small frown as he asks the other, "Are you always this rude?"

The blonde stares right into his eyes and deadpans, "Yes. Now, are you fucking done so you can you leave me the fuck alone?"

Eijirou is not deterred however; he finds it funny that this guy doesn't even hesitate in admitting that he's rude. Sure, Eijirou knows he should probably try to stay away from someone who can easily admit to their rudeness, but he can feel it down to his bone marrow. His neighbor is different; no alarm bells indicating that the blonde is trouble are ringing inside his head after all. So he insists, "But I want to know your name. Come on, tell me, or I'm going to keep calling you grumpy cat. You don't want that, right?"

Eijirou isn't joking about it either; he's really going to keep calling his neighbor a grumpy cat unless he learns his name. He can be super stubborn if he wants to be. He figures his neighbor is aware of it too, because the blonde glares at him for a good while, but Eijirou simply stares at him and doesn't stop staring. He even smiles at the blonde encouragingly. They probably look like a bunch of weird people to an outsider, one guy glowering like a feral beast and another one smiling goofily at the other, seemingly unafraid of the danger right in front of him. Eijirou, however, doesn't care what others think as he continues to smile at his neighbor. His mother always tells him that he should always offer a smile when meeting someone for the first time. Sure, she probably didn't mean that he should risk losing his head by smiling at a clearly angry dandelion puff, but Eijirou is sure it can't hurt to try his smile magic at the other.

Eventually, it comes to his attention that standing his ground and smiling is the right thing to do - probably, maybe, hopefully - because his neighbor finally relents.

"Katsuki Bakugou." The guy, Katsuki, says and looks away. The name is said with a hint of a growl that it's almost unclear. Eijirou hears and understands it anyway. Bless his sharp hearing.

Katsuki Bakugou, huh?

Nice name. It suits him, too.

"I'm Eijirou Kirishima," He introduces himself, still smiling. Of course, he already told Katsuki his name, but he's not really sure if Katsuki even remembers it or if he was even listening to Eijirou that time.

Katsuki rolls his eyes at him, looking exasperated; whatever fake hostility he has towards Eijirou seems to have evaporated from his features, replaced by some sort of silent resignation that he's not getting rid of Eijirou any time soon... or at all.

"I know," Katsuki grumbles, "You already fucking told me yesterday."

So Katsuki was indeed listening to him back then, and he actually remembers his name! Eijirou can't help but smile some more that he feels as if he's going to split his own face in half by smiling too wide and too much.

Katsuki stares at him and blinks, "Fucking shark-toothed weirdo."

Katsuki is absolutely right. He does have shark teeth - having a dentist for a friend makes everything dental-related cheaper - and he may also be a weirdo because right now, just knowing his neighbor's name makes him feel as if he just won the grand prize in the lottery.

"Yeah, that's me! Eijirou. Shark-toothed weirdo." He says with an even wider grin, looking more proud than he probably should. He can already tell that he will be grinning a lot these coming days, and he can't contain the excitement bubbling from within his chest. "Do you want to say hello to my plants, too?"

"Fuck no," Katsuki snorts; there's clearly a hint of lightly concealed amusement lingering in his eyes, and Eijirou's heart does the flippy thing.

Yup. He's definitely a shark-toothed weirdo.

* * *

Unlike what he suspects, okay that's a lie, he totally suspected it - he's absolutely lovable after all - it doesn't take long for Eijirou's dynamics with Katsuki to change. After their almost formal introduction, and much pestering on his part, Katsuki has finally given in, and they became pretty good friends, if Eijirou says so himself. Katsuki has also taken to calling him shitty hair, much to Eijirou's offense because his hair is definitely not shitty. Sure, his roots are already showing, but his hair is totally cool, thank you very much. He said as much to Katsuki, though the blonde just snorted at him when he told him that. That's alright; Eijirou sure got back at Katsuki for insulting his hairstyle by calling the blonde a variety of plant names - firethorn and tiger's jaw being some of the top nicknames he gave the blonde. Oh yeah, he calls him Blasty too, or cactus-head when he feels like it, much to Katsuki's charging.

It's really fun being friends with Katsuki. He's snarky and witty and grumpy and he knows more curse words than all the people Eijirou knows combined. Despite that though, there's a certain kindness in Katsuki, something that the blonde himself probably doesn't know he has, but it's there; he has seen glimpses of it quite a lot of times already. Eijirou even got Katsuki to help out in his humble shop sometimes, and it's great. Katsuki looks majestic surrounded by all the flowers in his shop that Eijirou often finds himself daydreaming.

Anyway, there's also the matter of Eijirou starting to learn more about Katsuki, like how he's apparently part of the fashion industry. He's a designer, just like his parents, and works from home. No wonder he's very stylish compared to Eijirou who always looks as if he just put on whatever's on top of his wardrobe before calling it style™.

Katsuki is really a very interesting person, and Eijirou is glad he met him.

But that's not all Eijirou learns.

Through his observation, he also found out that Katsuki is like a cactus. Sure, at first glance, Katsuki seems more like a dandelion - albeit an angry one - with that puffy golden hair, but the more he talks to him, the more Eijirou is convinced that Katsuki resembles a cactus. Like a cactus, Katsuki is prickly. His default mood is grumpy, and it's endearing. He is always glaring and scowling, looking as if he dislikes the world and everyone in it. He seems kind of rude at first too, though Eijirou has already figured out that it's some sort of Katsuki's defense mechanism. It's safe to say that for someone who doesn't know him - _really_ know - Katsuki will appear untouchable. He makes people want to stay away from him, just like how some people ignore cacti.

' _It's such a shame,'_ Eijirou thinks to himself. Cacti are really amazing. They survive even in the harshest conditions, and they're beautiful when they bloom. It's the same when Katsuki smiles that small genuine smile of his. Eijirou only saw it once or twice - but he's already hooked. Actually, now that he thinks about it, he's already been hooked even before Katsuki smiled. Oh well.

Katsuki and cacti.

Cacti and Katsuki.

Two very similar things whose beauty are more often than not overlooked by most, too easily deterred by the prickly thorns surrounding them but not Eijirou.

Cacti are his favorite plants after all.

* * *

Eijirou soon realizes that his crush on Katsuki has grown into something else, something more serious without his notice, just like grass thriving on an unmaintained yet fertile soil. In fact, it also grew faster than vines crawling up a wall. His newfound feelings for Katsuki are something unexpected; he has been sure his crush will stay a crush. But of course his feelings seem to have other thoughts because now, Eijirou finds himself head over heels for his fiery neighbor. He should've known his crush will evolve faster than he can blink.

Eijirou supposes he should have known it's going to happen ever since Katsuki became such a staple part of his life. The blonde is the one he sees first in the morning and the one he sees last in the evening, after all. He runs to Katsuki when he has problems - usually plant problems, sometimes life problems - because his neighbor is really good at giving advice if you look past all the curses and grumpiness.

Eijirou knows he likes his neighbor; he may or may not be in love with him either. There's really nothing wrong with it. The only problem is that Eijirou really has zero idea on how to deal with having serious feelings towards anyone, much less to someone he considers a close friend.

And he's a hundred and one percent sure that he's going to embarrass himself sooner or later in front of Katsuki.

* * *

Eijirou called it.

He totally, absolutely, definitely called it.

It isn't even a week later after one of the major realizations in his life that his premonition which involves his lovestruck ass, Katsuki, his plants, and ultimate embarrassment came true.

"Morning, fuckmunch."

Eijirou hears Katsuki say, making him jump a bit. It's a real shock that Katsuki is greeting him first. Katsuki never greets him first. That's Eijirou's thing, so the sudden turn of events really surprised him. In fact, he's too shocked that he turned his head so fast he feels just a little bit dizzy. Of course, it's then that his heart suddenly decided that it's not going to function properly and instead jump wildly inside his chest like a bunch of kangaroos on a stampede. Eijirou supposes that he could've played it cool, greet Katsuki back with a smile and wish him a good morning, but there's just no way he can play it cool when his current love interest is standing before him in all his perfect glory, the sun shining behind him and making him look like some god. He looks all tired from his morning jog too, but that's unimportant right now. So instead of greeting Katsuki like a normal person would, Eijirou does something out of impulse. As always.

"Here," He says, extending his arms forward and offering Katsuki the potted cactus he's currently tending to before cursing himself inwardly, wondering where his self control went.

"What the fuck is this?"

"A cactus?" Eijirou answers nervously, desperately wishing for the ground below his feet to _please_ open up and swallow him whole.

A scoff, "I know this is a fucking cactus. What I want to know is why you're giving me a fucking cactus."

' _Oh you know… because I like you, so I'm giving you my plants.'_

… is what he wants to say, but nope. He definitely can't say that, can he? He values their friendship, thank you very much, so instead, he says, "Someone ordered this and told me to give it to you."

He says it a little too quickly, his words more of a question than a statement and he feels his hands slowly being covered in cold sweat. He's a really bad liar, but he still hopes that Katsuki will not be able to pick up on his lie. Eijirou really doesn't want him to know, at least not yet.

Eijirou watches his neighbor's gaze travelling to the plant before him before going back up to stare at him. Katsuki is eyeing him like he's some mystery that needs to be deciphered. Eijirou gulps and moves his arms up in a 'take it' motion. He almost faints when Katsuki, after what seemed like an eternity, finally takes the potted cactus from him.

And like a well used shoujou manga trope, their fingers brush against each other.

Somewhere in the heavens, angels start to play some bloody love song.

It's so damn cliché.

But that doesn't mean that his heart didn't explode from the contact. The stampeding kangaroos in his chest suddenly bursting into fireworks that sent jolts of electricity throughout his body. He can almost see imaginary cherry blossom petals floating around them, and he doesn't know if he should cry or laugh or both.

"Oi, aren't you going to let go of the fucking plant?" Katsuki's voice - Eijirou swears it sounds more embarrassed than snappy - brings him back from whatever part of the universe he's floated to, and Eijirou realizes that he's still holding on to the pot and that his fingers are still touching Katsuki's.

He becomes hyperware of everything, and what do you know, the goddamn fireworks and electricity and cherry blossoms are back again.

Eijirou's face burns hotter than lava as he quickly let go of the plant, "Uhm… ah, yeah. Okay. It's all yours… according to the person who wants to give it to you… of course. Haha."

"Right."

Awkward silence.

"Uhm yeah," Eijirou stutters again, "I'll just, you know, go inside and take care of my plants. Okay? Yeah? Alright. I'll see you later. I guess. Uhm, bye."

And before Katsuki can say something else, Eijirou already bolted as if his butt is on fire, rushing towards the small storage in his shop. He slumps against the wall of the storage, covering his still brightly burning face with his hands. His actions are punctuated with an over-dramatic groan as he lets himself slide down the wall he was currently leaning on. The memory of what he did and how he acted playing in his head over and over again. He's so embarrassed that he can feel his embarrassment down to the very last red blood cell in his veins and up to the dead cells in his hair. He's sure even his hair is blushing, and that's really no ordinary feat. What's worse is that he doesn't have any idea of how to face Katsuki again.

Oh yeah. Eijirou knows he is so screwed.

' _Why did I do that? Oh my god.'_

His lovestruck ass is going to need some help.

* * *

Eijirou is beginning to think that meeting up with his best friend is a big mistake and a very big one at that. He and Denki are currently hanging out in one of the shopping district's many diners, talking about Eijirou's disastrous crush on his neighbor.

"Oh my god, Eiji." Denki snickers unashamedly, "You did what?"

"Don't laugh at me." Eijirou directs a pout towards his best friend, giving him a half hearted glare which only serves to increase Denki's amusement. "It was really embarrassing you know."

"But you gave your crush a cactus, man. A _cactus_." And as if it reminding Eijirou of his embarrassing screw up isn't enough, Denki is also guffawing, clutching his stomach as he continues to laugh, face red. "And you told him it was from someone else. How can I not laugh about it?"

Eijirou's pout grows.

"Well-" Denki points a lazy finger towards his best friend, completely ignoring Eijirou's pouts, "-I'm sure your love interest doesn't know that he's your love interest yet. So there's that."

"But what am I going to do?" Eijirou whines, looking every bit like a helpless puppy.

"Tell him." Denki says bluntly, and Eijirou wonders if his best friend has gone crazy. There's just absolutely no way he's going to tell Katsuki that. He's not that brave, unfortunately.

And he tells Denki this, too. "Are you crazy? I can't do that! He'll hate me!"

"No one can hate you, Eiji. You're too wonderful to be hated. It's actually really annoying."

Eijirou doesn't know if he should take that as an insult or a compliment.

"Uhm, thanks?"

"So you know, just try and tell him." Denki waves his hand nonchalantly. "What could go wrong?"

Eijirou's pout morphs into a thoughtful scowl, but before he can say anything, Denki's already opening his mouth, probably to give him another crazy advice that only his best friend can give.

"Or you can just go ahead and give him another cactus." Denki starts to laugh again and promptly chokes on the sushi he's currently stuffing his mouth with.

Eijirou almost feels sorry for him.

Almost.

* * *

Everything.

 _Everything_ went wrong.

Because in the end, Eijirou finds himself following Denki's advice and giving Katsuki more of his treasured plants anyway. Damn Denki for putting such absurd ideas in his head, and damn his lovestruck ass for actually going with said absurd ideas.

As of now, he's given Katsuki at least five cacti and two succulents.

Katsuki always accepts them, of course. He stops looking at him weirdly as if he'd suddenly grown three more heads though. Eijirou is sure Katsuki is starting to suspect something. He's totally asking who's the 'mysterious person' who keeps telling Eijirou to give him plants, and Eijirou is running out of things to tell him.

So yeah, everything definitely went wrong.

He blames Denki.

* * *

Fortunately or unfortunately, Eijirou's luck starts to shift not long after, and he realizes that his love for plants and general clumsiness is a deadly combination.

It all culminates down to the day Eijirou accidentally bumped against his book shelf, the force of the collision sending one of his plants - he's only realized it's a mistake to place plants on top of such a tall shelf - toppling over the shelf and down the unforgiving ground. Eijirou doesn't think about anything else other than saving his plant as he jumps to catch the falling garden pot. He barely registers the pain as he hits the wall of his apartment rather forcefully. He also doesn't hear the sound of disaster fast approaching. He is able to rescue his prized succulent, and that's more than enough.

"Whew." Eijirou lets out a relieved sigh, smiling down at his plant. "Good thing I was able to save you, huh? You could have been a goner, you know?"

He is happy that his plant isn't damage. Too busy celebrating, Eijirou has momentarily forgotten that when one building is as old as the old man down the street and slightly - totally - unmaintained…

They break.

Eijirou assumes that he blacked out for a few seconds because he only becomes aware of his surroundings when he realizes that he is sprawled on the floor and that someone is talking to him.

"What the fuck is going on?" Eijirou hears Katsuki ask.

The blonde is hovering over him, eyes questioning. Eijirou really doesn't know if it's because he hit his head when he fell, but right now, even with his scowl, Katsuki looks beautiful. The pale light of the fluorescent - though not the sun, still somehow gives the same effect - shining behind him is giving the blonde an almost soft look, and there is a near ethereal feel to him. And wow, are Katsuki's eyes always this vivid?

"Oi, shitty hair." Katsuki calls out again, the subtle tone of concern in his voice makes Eijirou almost want to smile. "Are you still alive?"

' _If I'm not, will you give me mouth to mouth resuscitation?'_

Eijirou feels his face flush, blinking wildly to rid himself of such embarrassing thoughts and clear his head. He knows he looks every bit as disoriented as a man who just ran smack into a wall and ended up breaking said wall.

"I seriously have no idea. Can you help me up?"

"Did you just break the goddamn wall?" Katsuki asks as he moves to help him up, and Eijirou can't help but think how soft the blonde's hand is. And sweaty. Eijirou doesn't care. It's manly as fuck.

"I think so?" Eijirou answers, shaking his head to rid his hair of any dust that has clung to it. "I was trying to save my plant."

Eijirou holds up the potted succulent, showing it to Katsuki only to realize that his neighbor has already stopped paying attention to him.

Katsuki is looking at Eijirou's room with something akin to awe in his eyes. "Your apartment is so fucking green."

Eijirou scratches the back of his head with a sheepish smile. He supposes it is the most accurate description anyone can give about his apartment. It really is green. Almost all corners of the room are covered in various kinds of potted plants, some tall, some short, there are even some that are already crawling up the walls though cacti and succulents are still the most prominent. Eijirou likes to describe his apartment as an indoor garden; sure it does not really fall to the standard of normalcy, but Eijirou loves it nonetheless. All the green filling his place is beautiful. To him, it is warmth and comfort and home.

"It feels like you," Katsuki says absentmindedly, and Eijirou's eyes widen for a fraction, flushing a little.

Katsuki doesn't seem like he will be saying more, too busy staring at the greenery filling his room. Eijirou smiles, before turning to look at Katsuki's apartment. It's also the first time he is going to see Katsuki's place, and Eijirou will take every opportunity offered to him to know more about his fiery neighbor. He lets out a soft gasp at what he saw, nearly dropping the potted succulent he just rescued to the ground. Frankly, he knows it's an overreaction to what Katsuki's apartment looks like. It really isn't grand or anything special, but the fact that he is currently looking at Katsuki's apartment makes all the difference.

Katsuki's apartment is as normal as it can get save for the two large fish tanks in his place which are filled with various kinds of goldfish. They are beautiful. The fish tanks are strategically placed inside Katsuki's apartment so that the light of the sun whenever it shines through the window will be shining on them, the water reflecting on every corner of the apartment, giving it an almost sea-like feel to it. It is calming for someone as explosive as Katsuki, but then again, Eijirou always finds himself feeling calm just by simply watching Katsuki move around and about. There is just something relaxing with how seemingly fluid he moves that Eijirou often finds himself staring at him whenever there is a chance for him to do so; it's definitely not because Eijirou likes him but well, there's that, too.

"Your apartment is really nice, Blasty." Eijirou comments. It's the truth, though. Katsuki's apartment, despite its simplicity, looks really nice and cozy.

Of course, Eijirou isn't done admiring Katsuki's apartment yet. He wants to take in every detail of Katsuki's apartment and learn more about his friend. There's too much of Katsuki's personality shining through his apartment after all, and for the first time since they met, Eijirou feels like he's truly seeing Katsuki. But then his eyes catches something and his heart flutters inside his chest. There, at the one of the corners of Katsuki's apartment, are the plants Eijirou gave him. They look so green and healthy, and two of the cacti already have flowers on them, too. They are placed where they can get just enough sunlight, and Eijirou comes to the realization that Katsuki's been taking really good care of them. He doesn't fully understand it, but knowing that Katsuki's been tending - carefully and lovingly so, if Eijirou says so himself - to the plants he gave him makes him feel as if there are a hundred billion suns bursting inside his chest. He feels incredibly warm all over; his entire body is melting into a happy puddle of goo, and there's no feeling more pleasant than what's he's currently feeling.

"The fuck are you smiling so goofily for, tulip head?" Katsuki interrupts Eijirou's thoughts, sounding almost embarrassed.

' _Oh, I was smiling?'_ Eijirou thinks, not really minding the new nickname - he actually likes it. He doesn't bother to hide the smile currently etched on his lips either. He's damn happy, and when he's happy, he lets the world know about it. "You're really good at taking care of plants too, huh Katsuki? I can tell even from here that those plants are well tended to."

"Of fucking course, I am." Katsuki rolls his eyes at him with a huff, "All I have to do is read a damn book about them, and I already know what to fucking do."

Eijirou doesn't say anything about the fact that Katsuki just admitted to reading a book about plants so he can take care of the ones Eijirou gave him. Instead, he says, "You're amazing, Katsuki."

Eijirou doesn't say anything about the way Katsuki's face and ears turned red because of what he said either; Eijirou doesn't want to ruin the moment, but he's definitely not going to forget the way Katsuki's cheeks and ears turned a nice shade of red as he blushed. The picture of Katsuki blushing is now stored in the deepest and dearest part of his memory.

"Tch, whatever," Katsuki grumbles, still blushing before quickly turning around to probably return to his room, "I'm going back to work."

"Okay," Eijirou nods watching Katsuki walk away until the blonde suddenly halts, "Blasty?"

"And ugh," Eijirou have no idea it's possible for someone to blush more than they already are, but there he is, watching with something akin to amazement as the tips of Katsuki's ears redden some more, the blonde quickly turning to face him once again. Katsuki angrily points a finger at him before continuing, "Hurry up and do something about that bump on your head, idiot."

Well, Eijirou sure is planning to do something about the lump on his head; it's actually quite painful when he thinks about it, but there's something else he's worried about, like the wall he broke, for example. "But what about the wall?"

"Forget about the fucking wall. Worry about your damn head first." Katsuki snarls before stomping towards his room without a second glance.

Eijirou watches him disappear, hugging the potted succulent he's holding to his chest, his face brightening in a way that can put the sun to shame. Katsuki's worried about him, and knowing that makes Eijirou feel healed already.

He's actually really glad the wall broke.

* * *

He's not glad the wall broke.

Living together is not easy, Eijirou soon discovers. Well… technically living together, you know, no wall and all, but the point still stands that it isn't easy.

"If you cross this line, I will end you."

He remembers Katsuki warning him with a threatening growl - he's really touchy with his privacy which is something Eijirou understands. Of course, any sane person would have found Katsuki's threats and the way he delivered them intimidating. Katsuki's intense red eyes and bared teeth coupled with his most threatening voice can have any normal person backing off. But alas, Eijirou has long ago accepted the fact that he is neither sane nor normal because what others find intimidating, he finds strangely, endearingly adorable. Besides, when it comes to him, he knows that Katsuki is nothing but bluster.

Anyway, Katsuki has warned him not to cross the line which is where the wall is supposed to be. Honestly, it is a simple request, and it isn't really hard to do. All Eijirou needs to do is stay in his line, and Katsuki will stay in his. It's supposed to be easy, right? But well, it isn't. Not really. Semi-living with Katsuki is probably the hardest thing Eijirou ever did in his entire existence.

He sees Katsuki everyday, and that's not a problem. Eijirou loves seeing him everyday, but Eijirou's heart is weak. He can't properly handle seeing Katsuki doing his thing in his apartment. Everyday.

Katsuki is so fluid and graceful and _breathtaking_ in his movements that Eijirou can't help but wonder why Katsuki hasn't caught him staring yet because he stares at him. Oh he stares. A lot.

It's a little creepy, Eijirou admits, but he just can't stop watching Katsuki. Watching him work or go about his day is the most interesting thing Eijirou has ever done. Eijirou discovered so many things about the other, like how Katsuki makes so many different expressions - ranging from frustrated to victorious and pleased - when he's trying to think of what clothes to design or how he smirks when watching thriller and horror movies.

Those are all good and amazing and wonderful, and Eijirou is glad he can see those. But then he sees Katsuki walking half naked in his apartment, wearing only his sweat pants, and dear lord save him. The first time Eijirou saw Katsuki like that, he almost had a heart attack, and ever since then, his heart will stop every time he catches a glimpse of Katsuki walking half naked in his apartment.

It's actually a surprise he's still alive.

But of course, just when Eijirou's finally getting used to seeing Katsuki with only his pants on, his heart no longer racing like a maniac, it gets worse.

And what's worse than Katsuki walking in his apartment topless?

Katsuki walking in his apartment while dripping wet with only a towel around his waists.

Damn broken wall.

* * *

He can't breathe.

There's a crushing pressure on his chest and throat, and he can't breathe. Eijirou tries to gasp for precious air only for it to be denied by the rapidly growing darkness, dragging him further into a swirl of nothingness before it shifts and makes way for a memory of red, and he feels as if he is drowning, not on water but on flames and ashes and smoke. He's back at his childhood home, and there are flames everywhere. The scent of burning flesh invades his nose, and he _can't breathe._

He can't breathe, but he can scream, so he screams and screams and _screams._

Until a stinging pain on his cheek shakes him out of his dream, of his memory, and he finds himself back in his apartment, surrounded by the green of his plants and Katsuki.

Eijirou bolts upright, breathing heavily and telling himself that it's okay, it's just a dream, _it's okay._

"Hey, what was that about?" Katsuki asks, voice surprisingly soft and worried, and if Eijirou isn't still seeing flames, he would have been overjoyed to know that he cares, but all Eijirou can think of is his nightmare and how pathetic he is for being scared.

He wants to tell Katsuki what he saw in his dream, but at the same time, he doesn't want to, so instead he laughs, shaky and almost bitter, and apologizes, playing his own terrors off as a joke because he's weak and a coward and that's all he can do.

"I'm sorry for being a baby and for waking you. I'm totally unmanly, huh?" Eijirou hates how his voice trembles, how he fails to grin like he wants to.

Katsuki doesn't say anything for a while, and Eijirou thinks he might be feeling awkward about it, and Eijirou, despite himself, feels the need to amend that. But then Katsuki's opening his mouth before he can say anything.

"Everyone has them. Nightmares, I mean. That's what you had, right?" He hears Katsuki whisper, admitting a secret Eijirou knows he had kept close to his heart. "I've had them too. Fucking lots of them, in fact."

Eijirou's voice is still rough when he asks, "You did?"

"They were so bad I needed to get some help. A professional one." Katsuki mumbles, not hesitant but not completely comfortable either. "It's not a magical fix, but it pushed me to the right direction. Helped me get back on my feet. And here I fucking am."

There's an entire story behind Katsuki's words, something that Eijirou wants to know but figures Katsuki isn't ready to disclose it yet, just like he isn't ready to tell where his nightmares are from. So instead, he asks, "Are you better now?"

"I'd fucking like to think so."

"I'm glad."

"But this isn't about me." Katsuki says. His voice is still soft, almost embarrassed, and with the gentle flush on his cheeks, Eijirou thinks that it might be the case. Katsuki obviously sounds like he isn't used to comforting people, but Eijirou hears him continue anyway, "What I'm saying is that having nightmares… they're okay. Being affected by them isn't unmanly or some shit like that."

"You think so?"

"I don't think so," Katsuki snorts, "I fucking know so."

The lingering memory of fire is still imprinted on his mind, but with Katsuki by his side, Eijirou realizes the horrors of his past are just a little more bearable.

"Thank you."

"Whatever." Katsuki grumbles, flushing lightly. "Shut up, and go back to sleep, idiot."

And because he is unbelievably tired, Eijirou does.

But if had stayed awake for a little while, he would have felt Katsuki's soft touch as he gently ran a hand through his head, fingers weaving through the tangles of his hair. If Eijirou had stayed awake for one more second, he would have seen the way Katsuki's face soften, the usual scowl painted across his lips smoothing out into the beginning of a tiny smile. If he had stayed awake to listen, Eijirou would have heard Katsuki wishing him sweet dreams, promising to ward off his nightmares until daybreak comes.

* * *

After his embarrassing nightmare fiasco, Eijirou finds his dynamics with Katsuki changing once again, and he can't be more overjoyed by the change. Of course he tries his best to keep the joy bubbling inside his chest to himself. Tries. It's really hard to hide his happiness; after all, he's finally getting close - closer than he ever thought possible - with his favorite neighbor.

They're already close enough that Katsuki has stopped threatening to end him whenever he walks right to his side of their joint apartment. And as a direct result of Katsuki's increased patience towards him and his antics, Eijirou often finds himself hanging around Katsuki's apartment whenever one of them is not busy with their own thing.

Just like today.

"You have a lot of goldfish, huh?"

"What? You got a fucking problem with them?" Katsuki asks, sounding defensive and ready to fight. It reminds Eijirou of himself whenever someone asks him why he likes succulents and cacti so much.

"What? No! I think they look nice!" Eijirou exclaims, arms flailing clumsily as he explains, "I just didn't expect you to be a goldfish person, is all."

Katsuki eyes him intensely but remains silent. Eijirou doesn't say a thing either, feeling content with the blanket of silence that had settled over them after Katsuki's initial outburst.

The comfortable silence lasted until something catches Eijirou's eyes.

"Oh this one has a strange tail," he says, eyes following the goldfish with fan-like tails. He's never seen a goldfish with a weird-looking tail before.

"You haven't seen a tosakin goldfish before?" Katsuki looks genuinely curious and parts horrified as if he can't believe that Eijirou doesn't know much about goldfish.

"Up until now, I didn't even know other kinds of goldfish exist." Eijirou admits, he knows a lot about plants, their species, common names, and even scientific names if he wants to be smug about his knowledge, but he's absolutely clueless when it comes to goldfish. "I thought it was just the long-tailed one."

"Veiltail." Katsuki supplies almost automatically, and oh yeah, here's another person who's damn passionate about something he likes just like Eijirou is towards his darling plants. He bets Katsuki knows the scientific names of his precious goldfish, too. It's super adorable, if Eijirou says so himself.

"Oh that's what it's called?" He says with something akin to fascination. There's a lot he doesn't know about goldfish, and he's glad he's finally learning them. But of course, the fact that he's learning them from Katsuki makes it a hundred and one times better.

"Yeah." Katsuki affirms before pointing to another strange looking goldfish. "And that one's a ryukin."

Eijirou doesn't miss how Katsuki is a little more talkative today, and he figures the blonde can't stop talking about goldfish once he started talking about it. It's so endearing, and because the moment feels way too precious and rare to pass up, Eijirou allows himself to ask, "Do you have a favorite?"

There is a small smile gracing Katsuki's lips now as he says, "Butterfly tail."

"Which one is it?"

"That one," Katsuki points to the goldfish with tails resembling that of butterfly wings, and Eijirou almost laughs at how the name of the fish fits its appearance.

Eijirou asks some more, and Katsuki answers enthusiastically. Sure Katsuki's demeanor barely changed as he talked, but Eijirou has always been in tune with the smallest changes in Katsuki's body language, and right now, Eijirou's definitely picking up excitement from the way his eyes are shining just a little brighter. And as Katsuki animatedly talk away about different kinds of goldfish, eyes shining brighter than the sun itself, Eijirou's mind is filled with only one thought.

Right now, Katsuki Bakugou is in full bloom.

And it's - _he's_ \- beautiful.

* * *

Eijirou is not browsing through his phone trying to find shops that sell goldfish, and he is not trying to memorize where each and everyone of them. Nope. Totally not.

Okay, maybe he's reading a little about stores that have goldfish.

A lot, actually, if he's being honest with himself.

Eijirou really doesn't know if it is because he wants to impress Katsuki or because he read that watching a goldfish swim is pretty relaxing and wants one for himself; all he knows is that in that moment, when Katsuki was talking about butterfly tails and tosakins and ryukins, his eyes were shining brighter than Eijirou has ever seen, and he wants to see it again.

So here he is in his small plant shop, scrolling through his phone and trying to look for the closest pet shop that sells a bunch of goldfish like he usually does when looking for flower shops that sell a rare type of cacti. He's probably wasting way too much phone data, and he's so going to pay a phone bill way above his usual bill, but damn it, he's going to find what he's looking for.

And when Katsuki asked him to accompany him to the pet shop that sells black veil-tails - something that Katsuki had said he wanted - he'd told him about, Eijirou thinks that paying extra yen for all that mobile data he spent is totally worth it.

* * *

More days passed, and Eijirou is still finding himself discovering more and more things about his neighbor. Like how Katsuki's sense of smell is terrifyingly sharp and how he's also a damn great cook.

Eijirou learns it soon after Katsuki gunned straight for his kitchen, looking absolutely horrified and mildly disgusted about something.

"Katsuki?" Eijirou asks in between mouthfuls of food. "What's wrong?"

Katsuki simply glares at him really hard. The blonde's eyes are almost narrowed into thin slits, and Eijirou wonders if he did something wrong. It makes him nervous; angering Katsuki - for real this time - is something he never ever wants to happen. Eijirou swallows. He is almost too scared to ask. Fortunately for him, Katsuki beats him to it, the blonde speaking up before Eijirou can even open his mouth.

"What the fuck are you eating?" Katsuki growls, "Actually fucking scratch that. Why the fuck are you eating that shit?"

Eijirou blinks, "I'm too busy to make a decent meal today."

"Bullshit!" Katsuki glares, obviously not believing his excuse. "I can fucking smell your shitty cup noodles from my apartment three times a day for the last four days, you fuck."

Eijirou lets out a gasp as Katsuki snatches the cup from his table before promptly dumping its contents - noodles and everything else - in the trash bin. Eijirou hears himself let out a heartbroken cry. His favorite seafood cup noodle. All gone.

"Wait there," Katsuki all but orders and threatens at the same time, "If you move, I will fucking end you. Got it?"

And then, he's gone, off to his own kitchen, most likely to cook because Eijirou hears pots and pans being moved and a stove being turned on from his neighbor's kitchen.

Eijirou is still bemoaning the loss of his favorite seafood cup noodle, but the smell of whatever Katsuki's making is wafting through the air, and its making his stomach growl, his mouth almost watering in anticipation. Plus, the idea of getting the privilege to eat something that Katsuki cooked for him is probably worth losing his one month supply of seafood cup noodles.

It takes a while before a tray of food is being placed in front of him, and Eijirou just about loses his jaw by how much he's gaping at the food being served to him. How Katsuki is able to make garlic fried rice, egg soup, and deep fried mackerel look like a feast is beyond Eijirou, but he is so not complaining. Yeah, alright, it's definitely worth losing his one month supply of cup noodles.

Eijirou takes a spoonful of food and shoves it a little too happily in his mouth, savoring the taste of the food Katsuki cooked for him. It's good. Better than good actually. It's absolutely delicious, Eijirou thinks he's going to cry. If he gets to eat something so delicious every day, he's never going to eat cup noodles ever again.

"This is so good, Blasty!" Eijirou says, already halfway through his meal.

Katsuki snorts, but his eyes hold a certain amount of smugness and pride as he says, "Of fucking course it's good. Who the fuck do you think I am?"

And though Eijirou can't deny the truth of the saying that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, he can easily tell that Katsuki used a shortcut and already made his way into his heart even before he tasted the blonde's amazing food. Not that he's bothered by it. He already accepted that Katsuki will turn his world upside down after all.

And as he sends furtive glances at Katsuki, a single thought lingers inside his head, resonating within his heart and everything that is him.

' _Hey Katsuki, can I marry you?'_

He think before realizing what he's brain just thought.

If he isn't screwed before, he definitely is now, maybe even crucifixed… and with super strong glue to be sure… perhaps wrapped with tape too for good measure.

' _Well shit.'_

* * *

Denki finds absolute pleasure in watching him suffer.

This is what Eijirou finds out as he once again meets up with his traitor of a best friend. He just told Denki what he realized, and his best friend had the audacity to laugh at him. Again. Well, Denki said he's laughing at Eijirou's love problems and not specifically him, but Eijirou _knows_. He's known Denki ever since they were children after all.

"You still haven't even told your love interest that you're the one giving him cacti and you already want to marry him?" Denki asks in between his laughter. "Wow, Eiji, did I ever tell you how screwed you are right now?"

Eijirou groans and slams his head on the table, startling the other patrons inside the diner. "You don't have to tell me that. I already know."

"So…" Denki drawls, "What are you planning to do, lover boy?"

"I don't know." Eijirou slams his head on the table again. "That's why I'm asking you. You're the one with the boyfriend here. How did you and Todoroki start dating?"

"I kissed him." Denki says unblinkingly. It's like he's telling Eijirou to just go up to Katsuki and kiss him.

"Are you telling me to just go ahead and kiss my neighbor?" Eijirou finally looks up again, forehead red from being slammed on the table twice. "I can't do that!"

"But I did it, and it worked." Denki says with a shrug.

Eijirou resists the urge to slam his head against the table for the third time. "I don't think that's going to work."

"I'm the one with the boyfriend here, Eiji." Damn Denki for using his own words against him. "Besides, you can't keep giving him cacti all the time. But if you want to keep doing that, I'm not stopping you."

"Why not?"

"Because it's hilarious, duh."

Eijirou is a good person, Denki too, but sometimes he wishes Denki will just choke on another sushi. They're eating ramen though, so that's impossible.

But then Denki starts to choke on water after teasing him.

Well, water works too, he thinks.

* * *

Eijirou is losing it.

He knows he should confess to Katsuki. He wants to confess, wants it so badly. Life is too short to live being afraid, after all. He knows he should take risks, or he might live with regrets for the rest of his life if he doesn't. The problem is that he has no idea how. Sometimes, he's even tempted to just go with what Denki told him and just kiss Katsuki, but he keeps reminding himself that nope, he can't do that.

At first, Eijirou is sure that confessing to Katsuki will be easy; all he has to do is be his usual self and take whatever answer Katsuki will give him.

So yeah, easy peasy, right?

Well it's actually really not.

Confessing his feelings to Katsuki is damn nerve wracking and scary that Eijirou feels himself shrinking like a shy plant every time he tries to say something about it. As a matter of fact, he already tried to confess multiple times only to find himself saying something else before inwardly smacking himself on the head for his cowardice.

But then it happened.

"Hey tell me about them." Katsuki tells him one day while he's helping him set up the plant displays for his shop.

"Huh?" Eijirou blinks, confused.

"Cacti. Tell me about them." Katsuki elaborates. He's no longer pushing garden plants, but instead is eyeing Eijirou pointedly. His eyes are so intense that it makes Eijirou just a little nervous.

"They remind me of you actually." Eijirou admits without thinking. "That's why I keep giving you my plants."

Eijirou realizes too late that he just blurted out his secret, and his eyes widen, horrified.

His horror grows tenfold when Katsuki says, "So it really was you."

 _Oh shit_.

He knows Katsuki is still going to say something because he's opening his mouth again, but Eijirou is too scared and nervous to stay and listen. So _he runs_. He runs and ignores Katsuki calling out to him. He basically flies up the stairs and makes a dash for his room, locking the door and even checking it twice all in the span of three minutes. A possible world record, but Eijirou's heart is beating to fast, and there's a loud ringing in his ear and thoughts of oh god, Katsuki _knows._ His neighbor, his friend, the one who holds his heart _knows_ , and Eijirou doesn't know what to do. He wants the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Heck, he will even take being cursed and turned into a goddamn stinky rafflesia if it means he will not have to face Katsuki. But the ground remains closed and no curse is placed on him. There's someone knocking - banging - on his door though.

"Oi, Eijirou!" Eijirou. Not shitty hair or tulip head or fuckmuch. Eijirou. Katsuki called him by his name, and he swallows. "Open up and let's talk."

"How did you get in my apartment, Blasty?" Eijirou is proud when his voice didn't shake. His hands are shaking though, also his legs.

"Oh I don't know," he hears Katsuki deadpan. "Maybe because we don't have a fucking wall."

Oh, right.

The wall.

How he can forget that they literally don't have a dividing wall is testament enough of how he can't think straight at the moment. Not that he's ever straight, but that's really not the point, and the fact that he's even having such random thoughts is making his mind even more scattered than it already is.

Eijirou assumes he's been silent for a while because he hears Katsuki speak from the other side of the door again. "So are you just going to keep quiet and not tell me why you kept giving me your fucking plants?"

Eijirou manages a small, "No." He hopes it's loud enough for Katsuki to hear though.

"No?" Katsuki repeats. "So you'd just stay locked up in your fucking room and not explain yourself?"

Eijirou doesn't say anything this time. He's genuinely considering the idea that maybe he should just hide under his bed and never come out. In fact, he's already crawling towards his bed.

"Fine then." Katsuki says, and he sounds like he's having a migraine. "Suit yourself, shitty hair. Guess I'm not fucking telling you that I like you back either."

Eijirou pauses, trying to process what Katsuki just said.

' _I like you back.'_

Katsuki said that, right? Sure there are some other words and 'fuck' to go along with it, but that's what Katsuki said, right? There's only one way to find out, and Eijirou stumbles to his feet, quickly rushing to yank open his bedroom door.

"Wha-" He begins, not knowing if he heard that right. "What did you say?"

"I don't remember saying anything."

Eijirou totally heard him say something, and he's so going to press Katsuki to repeat it. Forget the fact that he was thinking of being a hermit just seconds ago because he needs to hear what he heard again. "But you just said-"

"What did I say, Eijirou?" Katsuki cuts him off, and his neighbor is staring at him again.

"That you…" Eijirou swallows, looks at Katsuki and _sees_. Katsuki's eyes are boring into him. His gaze is somehow more intense than usual, expectant and dare Eijirou say hopeful.

"That you what?" Katsuki asks when Eijirou trails off.

It's like he's been punched thrice in the face by a world boxing champion before being thrown in a pit full of cacti when he realizes that holy master of all succulents, Katsuki is waiting for him to confess. He's probably waiting for him to do it for a long time now, and wow, talk about late realizations. But it's all Eijirou needs to finally gather all his courage and tell his neighbor what he's been wanting to tell him ages ago.

"I like you, Katsuki." There's no unnecessary pauses in his words, just raw and honest feelings that anyone who can hear his confession will be ashamed to even think about doubting his statement. "I don't know how to tell you so I just gave you my plants. I like you." He says again just because he can.

"I know that already. You even went ahead and read about pet shops that sell goldfish because you knew I like them. I'm not a fucking idiot, Eijirou." Katsuki is blushing but then he smirks. "Oh yeah. I actually know where to get black veil-tails."

Eijirou can't help but pout at that. "For some reason I already feel cheated."

He gets a half-hearted glare in return. "What the fuck?"

"To compensate, you need to tell me what you told me just." Because hearing it once is not enough, and Eijirou wants to hear it again and again and again and-

"No."

"Katsuki!" Eijirou whines. He does. He also gives him his best abandoned puppy look.

It doesn't work. "Fuck off."

"Katsuki." Eijirou's best abandoned puppy look turns into an abandoned _and_ starving puppy look. It's a look that no one can resist, not even a statue. Eijirou can tell Katsuki is slowly crumbling under his gaze. He can visibly see the inner struggle his neighbor is going through. So while he's at it, Eijirou throws in his kicked puppy look in top of his abandoned and starving puppy look.

"Holy fucking hell. Fine." Katsuki grumbles, but his cheeks and ears are red. "I fucking like you too, okay?"

Eijirou can't stop grinning.

His cheeks hurt from how wide he's grinning, sharp teeth and all, but he can't stop grinning.

He really, really can't.

* * *

They were watching a really old B-rated monster movie in Katsuki's apartment, a bowl of popcorn on his lap. The movie is lame and the popcorn is way too greasy, but they are sitting next to each other, and his knee is touching Katsuki's, and their hands brush against each other when they grab popcorn at the same time, and it's absolutely wonderful.

It's only been a week since he confessed - well, technically, Katsuki confessed first but details - and him and Katsuki are trying to spend more time together than ever. Sure, they've already spent time together before, but that was as friends. Now, it's different, more meaningful. It's amazing, and Eijirou feels like a sunflower taking in its first dose of sunshine. It's amazing, and by the way Katsuki is acting, he knows its mutual.

"So you like me?" Eijiro asks over the loud screaming coming from the movie they are watching. He knows he's asked it many times already. He can't help it. It still feels surreal because wow, Katsuki _likes_ him.

"I already fucking said that, didn't I?" Katsuki groans, but he still says, "I like you. For the thirty-seventh time this week." The number is spot on because Eijirou is counting too. His face reddens, and he grins.

"Does that mean you're my boyfriend now?"

"No." Katsuki answers seriously without missing a single beat.

Eijirou laughs. He's somehow already expecting Katsuki to say that, and frankly, that's fine for him too. "But can I still call you babe?"

The bridge of Katsuki's nose turns red, the blonde averting his eyes, giving Eijirou a full view of his red ears. It's so damn cute.

"Whatever."

Eijirou beams, "Thanks babe!"

Him and Katsuki aren't officially in a relationship yet, but Eijirou isn't really expecting them to be even after they confessed to each other. After all, like people, relationships are like plants, too. They will not just grow and blossom overnight. Like plants, relationships take a lot of care and nurturing for them to bloom beautifully.

Right now, what Eijirou and Katsuki have is just a seedling. It will take some time for it to grow, but that's okay. Eijirou is the best gardener after all.

* * *

 **End**

 **Note:** Lol, so. Hahaha. I hope y'all enjoyed this.


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